NEW figures from Health Protection Scotland revealed a 17 per cent drop in the number of MRSA cases reported between the period of July and September 2013.

CASES of the hospital infection MRSA have fallen to their lowest level.

New figures from Health Protection Scotland (HPS) show a 17 per cent drop in MRSA cases in the period July to September 2013, compared with the previous three months.

The number and rate of MRSA infections was at its lowest of any quarter since the HPS surveillance programme began in 2005, with just 29 cases recorded.

The figures also show that the number of people contracting the infection Clostridium difficile (C diff) has reduced by 80 per cent since records began at the end of 2006, although there has been a rise in cases over the second and third quarters of 2013.

During the period July to September last year, there were 351 new cases of C diff in patients over 65, up from 314 the previous quarter, and 152 new cases in patients aged 15 to 64, up from 112 the previous quarter.

"These results show what can be achieved by supporting NHS staff to embed good practice across all NHS services.

"With this good practice firmly in place, and delivering positive results, we want to remind staff, patients and visitors that they all have a role to play in making sure good standards of cleanliness and hand hygiene are maintained.

"While we have made significant progress in this area, we can never be complacent about HAIs.

"We are introducing HAI quality improvement facilitators to work with frontline staff, including staff from our world-leading Patient Safety Programme, which continues to deliver remarkable results.

"These new roles will complement the range of infection control personnel already working in our NHS and healthcare associated infection policies thanks to £18.5 million annual funding from this Government."